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Friday, 31 May 2013

I have never been a fan of the Fast series but having seen the first two (my uncle loves them and made me watch them when he got his new home cinema) and just saw the latest offering for my friend's birthday. I walked into the cinema not knowing much about the movie apart from that it is about cars, racing, women, money... and also that Michelle Rodriguez (who I really liked in Avatar) stars in it.

Dom (Vin Diesal) and Brian (Paul Walker) live the quiet life in Spain after their heist in Rio, but are roped back onto the scene by Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) when a group of racing terrorists led by Shaw (Luke Evans) which includes presumed dead Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) are constructing a nightshade device.

Dominic reassembles his team in order to take down this group whilst at the same time trying to win back Letty. But when the stakes get high and the going gets personal, what sacrifices have to be made to stop them?

Man of Steel star Henry Cavill covers Details Magazine as well as the previously reported GQ spread for June. The Superman star talks of how he used to be fat (believe it or not) but those days are over!

Man of Steel will be the biggest role the Brit star has obtained to date and has certainly whisked him out of obscurity and will come out June 14th.

Tuesday, 28 May 2013

The video to Kelly Clarkson's latest single 'People Like Us' has been released. The track, off her Greatest Hits, is extremely upbeat and catchy and has a unique and interesting video.

The black and white video sees a coloured girl being examined, before being rescued by Clarkson's character is taken to an alternate world of colour... It is an interesting plot, I wish they did more with the subversion/clan like dialectic between the two worlds... but also, the product placement was sooo obvious, and offputtng- Nokia/BMW... pffft.

This week the candidates are jetted off to Dubai where they will be sourcing goods for a hotel at the cheapest cost in order to win. The first thing to highlight is Luisa who is hilarious in packing bikinis for a day trip, on BUSINESS.

Miles puts himself up for Project Manager for Evolve, whilst Zee, claiming to know Dubai like the back of his hand having lived there for several years, is met with opposition when putting himself forward by Leah. With objects like a falcon hood, an OUD (which Zee claimed was a perfume but turned out to be a musical instrument), a flag, a plant, a traditional dress and others...

Despite using her head and heading to the mall, Leah caves into Zee's pressure of making them go to the market for cheaper deals.

Both teams had problems identifying what products were, let alone sourcing them, with teams running around the place fruitlessly asking for help.

One tragic mistake was made by Miles who paid upfront for the flag and waited whilst it was being made, wasting valuable time. But the biggest mistake of all was by Kurt who could not do his maths and the team ended up with a miniature flag, which had to be remade.

Another hilarious point was when Rebecca was speaking to someone on the phone, said she was English and got cut off. And Jason always promises to delight with his whole persona.

In the end, Team Evolve managed to source 6 items, whilst Team Endeavor only managed 4, of which one was incorrect (the traditional dress), and loses by £90. Who will Zee bring back into the boardroom?

Friday, 24 May 2013

Sorry this will be a super short recap- the fact that I forgot to watch it yesterday was indication of how phased I am with my work...

Anyway, this week the two teams front farm shops. Neil heads the boys team and Luisa heads the girls team. Luisa's team decides to capitalise on specialist meat buffalo, with jacket potatoes and soup, whilst the Neil decides on milkshakes based on Kurt's drinks industry.

During the buying process, Luisa's sub team had trouble convincing Luisa she needed more stock, whilst on the other team, Neil couldn't persuade Kurt to buy more stock and instead had to do it himself.

Sales wise, the smoothies/milkshakes sold like hotcakes throughout the day, whilst Luisa's jacket potatoes went stale.

Thursday, 23 May 2013

Joseph Gordon Levitt's upcoming movie 'Don Jon' which he wrote and directed and stars in looks to be an interesting and risque one.

Starring opposite Scarlett Johansson who plays a ghetto white woman named Barbara, Levitt's Don Jon tries to win her as the woman of his dreams, but suffers from a porn addiction. Looks to be quirky, humorous and charming too.

I also liked the subtle jabs at Scarlett Johansson's nudey photo scandal.

Also stars Julianne Moore, with cameos from Anne Hathaway and Channing Tatum.

Emmelie's elf like image paired with her Shakira-esque voice makes for a unique act. The winning Eurovision song 'Only Teardrops' grabs your attention from the first second and is super catchy. The flute definitely brings a vital element to the song, and without it would not have been successful.

Tuesday, 21 May 2013

'The Host' is a sci fi thriller based on the novel of the same name by the creator of Twilight, Stephanie Meyer. Due to the divisive views on the Twilight movies, anticipation of this movie was mostly met with negativity. Despite this, the trailer was intriguing and led me to give this movie a go.

Set in the future where aliens inhabit human bodies and threat to wipe out mankind, Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan) is determined to fight the alien soul Wanda from within her body in order to reunite her with her lover Jared (Max Irons), protect her little brother and evading The Seeker (Diane Kruger) who is on her tail.

As The Resistence strive to rescue Melanie from within her body, things get complicated when Wanda falls in love with human Ian (Jake Abel) and becomes compromised.

This has always been on my list of movies to see, but for years I have been putting this off for some reason, and I finally watched this the other day and can see why perhaps I shouldn't have bothered at all!

Will (Henry Cavill) goes on a sailing trip with his family in Spain and whilst he went into town to get some supplies, his family is kidnapped. Discovering that his father (Bruce Willis) is in fact an agent and has been setup by colleague Carrack (Sigourney Weaver) to recover a mysterious briefcase, Will must do everything he can to avoid capture and death in order to save his family.

After escaping from the witch's lair of candy at a young age, siblings Hansel (Renner) and Gretel (Arterton) become witch hunters, killing witches for a living. As the night of the blood moon approaches, a small village summons the pair to hunt witches who have kidnapped several of the villagers' children to be used in a sacrifice led by dark witch Muriel (Famke Janssen), granting witches fire immunity. Hansel and Gretel must save them before it is too late.

Monday, 20 May 2013

Taylor Swift is the big winner at the Billboard Music awards, bagging 8 awards (out of 11 nominated), including Best Album (Red), Top Female Artist, Top Country Artist, Top Country Album, Top Country Song (We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together) and Billboard Artist of the Year.

She also performed her latest single '22' at the awards, with her next being the collaboration with Ed Sheeran, 'Everything has changed'.

Swift is currently on the American leg of her world tour, going to Australia and New Zealand later in the year. When will she hit Europe?

Saturday, 18 May 2013

So it's Eurovision season again (boy, this year has gone FAST) and this year it is hosted in Sweden after the landslide win by Loreen last year. This year's slogan is 'We are One' featuring an artistic butterfly.

There have been some interesting performances across the two semis, and I think this will be an exciting year with relatively few purely gimmicky acts.

Here is the running order of tonight's show:

1. FranceShe has a good voice, the song is ok- but overall a boring performance.

2. LithuaniaSo, this was one of my favs from the first semi final- and I think I will continue to root for this tonight- it is a catchy song and the lyrics are sensationally flawsome haha!

3. MoldovaMoldova has a jaw dropping visual performance. You cannot stop staring at her whipped cream slash horse poop hair styling, and wonder what she's cooking up under her dress... and we're in for a gigantic surprise as her dress becomes a volcano and she sets on fire, but not enough to erupt... I'll root for this on visuals alone.

Thursday, 16 May 2013

So it's Eurovision season again (boy, this year has gone FAST) and this year it is hosted in Sweden after the win by Loreen last year. Unfortunately, due to a busy schedule, the first and second semi final blogs will be more concise.

This year's slogan is 'We are One' featuring an artistic butterfly... anyway.

So Tuesday saw 10 countries qualify in the first semi final, including hot favourite Denmark as well as some surprises. The top 5 that I picked from that semi final all got through so I'm very happy about that. Will my 5 from tonight get through as well?

Here is the running order of tonight's show:

1. LatviaMeh song meh performance... flashy suits and flesh showing does not help them

2. San MarinoOK song- cannot believe she was the same woman as the one for last year's social network song...

3. FYR MacedoniaThey are live polar opposites- what is she wearing like a big red peony or something... meh...

4. AzerbaijanOK song, good staging and performance overall... first of my five favs from tonight me thinks!

5. FinlandBit of a mess- the lyrics are awful. what is this mess.

6. MaltaFrom the first note, this act is ripping Jason Mraz off... wow- cannot take this. It is quite catchy but the tune is just too similar to 'I'm Yours'. welp!

Wednesday, 15 May 2013

Sorry for the short recap this week but I'm mega busy with a deadline- so here are just some quick thoughts about this week's episode, where the candidates are designing and manufacturing multifunctional flat pack furniture before pitching them to retailers.

The boys team designs a chair that becomes a table, whilst the girls team designs a box. literally. Whilst they may have good intentions, the outcome of the product was neither functional nor stylish. The guys' chair was not very ergonomic, but at least it has a good finish and with refinement could be a worthy design product.

In the end, it was obvious that the guys team would win as they had the better product and even though the girls pitched and sold as best as they could, the product let them down. But who will project manager Natalie bring back into the boardroom?

Tuesday, 14 May 2013

So it's Eurovision season again (boy, this year has gone FAST) and this year it is hosted in Sweden after the win by Loreen last year. Unfortunately, due to a busy schedule, the first and second semi final blogs will be more concise.

This year's slogan is 'We are One' featuring an artistic butterfly... anyway.

Loreen opens the show by singing Euphoria. Blah blah from the host- we only have one this year- a very proper speaking woman in a sparkly dress.

Here is the running order of tonight's show:

1. Austriavery samey- not original... seen before... :/

2. Estonia Interesting choice of black and white filming for Estonia.. wonder if it will turn to colour--- LOOL and it does- HAHAHA- OK song...

3. SloveniaProps to the backup dancers- a strong Europop song.. very typical but still catchy... could do well.

4. CroatiaKinda boring- props to them for singing folk song- but not great for my ears.

5. DenmarkOK- there's a reason they are the favourite- like the song- will be rooting for this. It is a catchy song and also like the fiery backdrop!

The trailer to the upcoming British sci-fi comedy 'About Time' has been released.

Tim (Domhnall Gleeson), on his 21st, is told that he has the ability to time travel, and he uses it to correct his mistakes when meeting and impressing girls. He falls in love with Mary (Rachel McAdams) but repercussions of his time travelling catches up with him and on one encounter, she does not remember having met him at all.

The dramedy looks to be extremely interesting and I look forward to seeing how it might resolve... though I thought the trailer gave too much away and hinted at a possible conclusion which is a bit warped.

Monday, 13 May 2013

Made for the 3DS, Phoenix makes a return after the destruction of the courtroom! With a new partner Athena Cykes and a new emotion system, the humourous lawyer/detective game will promise to be better than ever! Plus, see all the action on the 3D platform!

Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies will be released this fall. Check out the trailer below:

Sunday, 12 May 2013

Ever since 'The Bourne Ultimatum' was released, moviegoers have pined for a sequel, only to be disappointed by Matt Damon's exit of the role due to director Paul Greengrass' decision not to make another.

Milking on the success of the franchise, the studio was quick to advance Tony Gilroy, who was the co-screenwriter of the first three movies to director and to create a story in the world of Bourne, just without Bourne himself, in 'The Bourne Legacy'.

Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) is an agent of an advanced program called Operation Outcome, where military soldiers have their genes altered to become stronger, faster, more alert, less emotional etc in order to become better assets for the US defense.

When Jason Bourne exposes Treadstone and Blackbriar, Col. Eric Byer (Edward Norton) concocts a plan to hide the other operations at hand- by wiping out all the Outcome agents.

Out of Chems (medication to sustain his life), Cross returns to the US, just as a shooting takes place in the Chem labs, belonging to Operation Outcome, with the sole survivor being Dr Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz). As part of the wipe out, agents are sent to kill Marta at her house, who is rescued by Cross.

Together, they must evade capture and Marta, in exchange for protection, offers to help Cross viral out his dependency on the Chems.

Saturday, 11 May 2013

Just found this beautiful installation designed by Mario Bellini Architects, as part of the design for the 'Green Towers' of the Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt, Germany. Mario Bellini also recently designed the extension to the Louvre Museum, Paris.

The spherical steel sculpture is dynamic and encloses the walkways, bringing emphasis to them in a visually captivating manner, whilst making the journey across exciting.

Friday, 10 May 2013

Alfonso Cuaron's long awaited 'Gravity' finally has a first trailer. In production since 2010, many stars including Angelina Jolie, Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson and Robert Downey Jr passed the main roles before Sandra Bullock and George Clooney accepted.

The film sees two astronauts (Bullock and Clooney) who struggle to survive in space after an accident with their space shuttle during a space walk- with no contact to Earth and tethered only onto to each other. It seems like a radical and extraordinary story.

The trailer looks visually stunning and will likely garner praise for its effects, whilst the plot is gripping and tense. I cannot wait to see this at the cinema!

The movie will be released in October this year. Check out the trailer below:

Thursday, 9 May 2013

Roxanne Emery has just posted the album cover of her debut full length album, titled 'For Weddings and a Funeral'.

Having performed a plethora of new songs since her last EP 'Turn Back' (read my review of it here), including 'High Wire', 'Daughter', 'Build a Home', 'Buried Alive' (probably on the album given the name) and 'River Runs Dry'. With many successful covers also on Youtube (such as Don't You Worry Child), I wonder if the album will contain one or two covers (maybe Clarity?)- cannot wait for a full track list!

In a recent interview, Roxanne revealed that the album had been finished and that it would be put on iTunes as soon as possible, likely in May. Definitely looking forward to this record - have been for ages now!

A music video for the lead single has also been filmed, so expect that to release shortly as well.

The official music video to Avril Lavigne's lead single 'Here's to Never Growing Up' has been released.

Lavigne is seen performing at a prom, blasting vocals in a locker room, causing havoc in a classroom before skate boarding down the hall way in a look that mirrors her teenage self in the video to her first single 'Complicated'.

The video was certainly released in time for prom-season, but how well will it do in the charts? With a yet untitled album rumoured to be released at the end of Summer, the video should hopefully boost sales, but Avril will need to do more publicity and performance in order for it to skyrocket like it deserves to!

Wednesday, 8 May 2013

So it is ep 2 of The Apprentice. The candidates get taken to a pub and is told that their task this week will be to create a new flavoured beer and sell it to make the most profit. Ben McKenzie lookalike Tim is made to be PM for the girls team and Kirk is project manager for the boys team.

The boys decide on a chocolate orange flavour. The girls decide on caramel and rhubarb, their logo looks awful. The guys have a power struggle between sub teams. The girls' manufacturing team fails to mix their beer and waste 150 pints worth £100. OUCH.

Taking the beer to the Kent Beer festival and trade sales, Team Evolve split up but Tim forgets to assign a sub team leader and spontaneously hand it to Rebecca. The girls manage to make a sale to a pub, but the boys didn't bring any samples and do not manage to sell any.

The girls do well at the Beer festival, but the boys don't do well at the St Albans beer festival. The boys sub team going to trade do not work well together and sell for a very small margin. Moving on to the REAL FOOD festival, they sell well, but the girls, after moving to a wine tasting place, do not sell well, but Leah, the doctor, manage to sell two casks for £90 at the last minute, and might just snag the win.

At the boardroom, the boys were critiqued for sending the wrong people to the brewery and also for having no samples selling at trade. Jason is attacked as part of the subteam for 'losing money'.

The girls were critiqued for their loss making the beer and also critiqued for going to the Kent beer festival. In the end, the girls team made a profit of £399.02, whilst the guys made £831.56.

In the end, Tim brings back Francesca and Rebecca, for the oversight in location and the mess up at the brewery.

Ender's Game is a film adaptation of Orson Scott Card's best selling novelling of the same name, where children are trained to battle aliens ahead of an impending invasion.

Having known very little about the book or the movie until seeing this trailer, it looks to be a Star Trek/Hunger Games style crossover movie- why? The alien space ship looks a lot like Narada from Star Trek and Viola Davis says: 'You really don't see them as children, do you?'.

The plethora of Academy nominees and winners that star in the movie which include Hailee Seinfield, Viola Davis, Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley and Abigail Breslin, could potentially overshadow the lesser known Asa Butterfield, who plays the lead role.

Tuesday, 7 May 2013

So The Apprentice is back and 16 new candidates battle it out to win a £250k investment with Lord Sugar. The contestants are pretty full of themselves from the get go and it will take a few weeks to really get some favourites.

Of the candidates, we have a dracula, a Holly Valance, a Rita Ora and someone with a huge forehead. I don't know their names and will call them that till I can remember :p

The first task is for the teams to sell a crateload of products which include bottles of water, loo roll, chinese lucky cats and some fluorescent jackets. Jaz volunteers herself for project manager for the girls, whilst Jason is Project manager for the boys. Jaz, as a teacher, is vocal, patronising but is honest with her approach and plays all her cards out. Jason cannot control the team as they discuss the products.

The guys' sale of the lucky cats were outrageous. Pitching it at £6 from £12 and ending with a sale of £3.25 with batteries (without actually having batteries)... wasting time and money. They manage to shift all their water and all their cat litter.

For the girls, they sell the water for a better price than the guys but struggle with their lucky cats, choosing to go to China Town - wth... they probably get them in China for pennies. But they do sell a few.

In the end, the girls made £1109.30 whilst the guys made £1167.90. Jaz will be back in the boardroom, but who will she bring back?

This year's Punk themed Met Gala saw stars such as Oscar winning Anne Hathaway punking it up in Valentino. She looks confident and edgy with her short blonde hair. Christina Ricci stuns in Vivienne Westwood.

Marion Cotillard keeps it safe with Dior, but that flash of yellow gives it a rebellious edge, so points for that. Rooney Mara is beautiful in a floor length Givenchy dress. Katie Holmes in Calvin Klein was elegant, with the train detail offering a slither of punk.